Liverpool's poor football, poor application, poor preparation: Winners, losers and ratings in Naples thrashing

Liverpool were beaten 4-1 by Napoli on a night to forget for Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Co., their Champions League campaign beginning in the worst possible fashion, as they were embarrassed in their opening Group A match - their worst European defeat since 1966.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were blown away by a first-half blitz from the Italians, who scored three times in the opening 45 minutes through Piotr Zielinski, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone, and still found time to miss a penalty through Victor Osimhen.

The Reds were shell-shocked, and things didn’t get any better after half-time as within two minutes of the restart Zielinski made it 4-0, following up after Alisson had saved his initial effort.

Luis Diaz pulled a goal back almost immediately with a fine 20-yard strike, but it was the only positive on a night which laid bare all of the problems which have been gathering at Klopp’s door in the early stages of the season.